Anti-vapor lock systems



Aug. 29, 1961 H. B. GRAHAM ANTIVAPOR LOCK SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 17. 1959 5w u m w r. m w A 0 Z 7A jqrl nfl @l 5414, .J/ 3 4 4/ m 0 00. r w w HUnited States Patent 2,998,057 ANTI-VAPOR LOCK SYSTEMS Harvey B. Graham,P.0. Box 501, Aguilar, Colo. Filed Aug. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 834,011 3Claims. (Cl. 158-363) This invention relates to a device for providingpositive feed of gasoline to the engine of a motor vehicle.Interruptions of fuel flow are frequently occasioned by air or vaporizedfuel being entrapped in the fuel line from the reservoir. Such entrappedair or fuel prevents priming of the fuel pump and results in a stoppageof the flow of fuel to the carburetor. Such stoppages, usually termedvapor locks, are aggravated by heat reaching the fuel line either from aheated portion of the engine or from excessive atmospheric temperatures.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple,economical, highly-eflicient device for automotive vehicles which willinstantly and constantly remove all gaseous accumulations from the fuellines so that liquid fuel will be constantly furnished to the fuel pumpand the carburetor regardless of conditions which might normally producevapor lock.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the improved vaporlock eliminator that it can be positioned at any desired point and atany desired elevation in a conventional engine fuel system and quicklyand easily connected into the present fuel and vacuum lines of theengine with a minimum of labor.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy and efliciency.These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is hadto the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numeralsrefer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout thedescription.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a cross section through the improved vapor lock eliminatorlooking downwardly on the line 1--1, FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section therethrough taken on the line 2-2, FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail enlarged sectional view illustrating a type of checkvalve employed in the improved vapor lock eliminator; and

FIG. 4 is a similarly enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line4-4, FIG. 2, illustrating a vacuum control valve as employed in theinvention.

The improved vapor lock eliminator comprises a cupshaped fluid-fuelreservoir the top of which is sealed by an apparatus plate 11 whichseparates the reservoir 10 from an inverted cup-shaped, vacuum chamber12. The vacuum chamber 12 may be sealed to the reservoir 10 in anydesired manner. As illustrated, the chamber and the reservoir areflanged as indicated at 13 and 14, respectively, and the flanges aresealed to the opposite faces of the plate 11 by means of suitablesealing gaskets 15 and cap screws 16. A valve shell 17 is mounted on thevacuum chamber 12. As illustrated, the valve shell is threaded into anannular flange .18 formed on the top of the vacuum chamber 12.

A vacuum pipe 19 is coupled to the shell 17 in any conventional mannerand leads to a vacuum line on the automotive engine, such as to theintake manifold of the engine or the windshield wiper conduits. A fuelfeed conduit 20 is connected, through the medium of a nipple 21, throughthe side of the reservoir adjacent the upper extremity of the latter.The conduit 20 leads to the gasoline tank of the automotive vehicle andserves to supply gasoline from the tank to the reservoir 10. A dischargetube 22 communicates through the wall of the Patented Aug. 29, 1961reservoir 10 adjacent the bottom of the reservoir and leads to theconventional fuel pump or to the engine carburetor in those cases wherethere is no fuel pump.

A removable sediment plug 45 is positioned inthe bottom of the reservoirfor draining and cleaning sediment from the latter. A check valve nipple23 is threaded through the top of the vacuum chamber 12 within the valveshell 17. The nipple 23 is provided with a neoprene cap 24 having acentral valve port 25 communicating with the interior of the nipple 23.A valve stem 27 extends through the port 25 and downwardly into thehollow interior of the nipple 23. An inverted conical valve disc 26 isformed on the upper extremity of the valve stem 27 and rests upon thecap 24 to close the port 25. e a

It can be seen that excess pressure in the vacuum chamber 12 will liftthe valve disc 26 from its seat and excess pressure in the valve shell.17 will force the valve 26 to its seat so as to prevent back flowthrough the vacuum pipe 19.

A .vacuum control nipple 28 communicates through and-extends downwardlyfrom the plate 11. The control nipple 28 is also provided with aneoprene cap 29 having a central port 30 communicating with the interiorof the nipple. The port 30 is closed by means of a second conical valvedisc 31 mounted on the lower extremity of a valve stem 32 extendingupwardly into the hollow interior of the nipple 28. The second valvedisc 31 is arranged to be urged to the closed position on the cap 29 bymeans of a float 33 positioned within the reservoir 10.

The float 33 is maintained in concentric position within the reservoirby means of a guide pin 34 mounted on and extending downwardly from thefloat through a guide sleeve 35 carried on the extremity of a floatbracket 36. The float bracket 36 extends upwardly to a fixed mounting inthe lower surface of the plate 11.

A valve-actuating arm 37 is fixedly mounted on and extends upwardly fromthe float 33 to a pivotal connection 38 with one extremity of abifurcated valve-actuating lever 39 which extends to a pivotalconnection 40 on a fulcrum post 41 at its other extremity. The fulcrumpost is secured to and extends downwardly from the plate 11. The lever29 passes directly beneath the second valve disc 31 and an attachmentear 43 formed on the disc 31 is pivoted to the lever 29 by means of asuitable pivot pin 44.

When in use, the reservoir 10 is filled with gasoline, indicated at 42,to approximately the level of the fuel feed conduit 20. Let us assumethat the vacuum pipe 19 is connected to the vacuum line of the engine.The fuel conduit 20 is connected to the fuel tank of the auto mobile andthe discharge tube 22 is connected to the fuel pump of the automobile.Normally, the reservoir 10 forms simply a part or section in the fuelsupply line between the conduit 20 and the tube 22 so that if gasolineis drawn from the tube 22 by the fuel pump, it will be constantlyreplaced by gasoline flowing in from the conduit 20.- Should vapor orair, however, accumulate in the top of the reservoir or in the conduit20, the fuel level in the reservoir will gradually descend due to thedemand of the fuel pump. This will cause the float 33 to graduallydescend so that the lever 39 will pull the valve disc 31 downwardly toopen the vacuum port 30. This causes all accumulated air and vapors fromthe conduit 20 and from the reservoir .10 to be drawn through the port30 into the vacuum chamber 12 and to the intake of the engine. As thevapors are removed, the fuel level in the reservoir 10 will graduallyreturn to its normal position causing the float 33 to close the vacuumvalve 31 so that the device will continue to operate in the normalmanner.

' While a Specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be variedwithin the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit of the invention. 7 A i p H Having thus described the inventionwhat is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is: 1

1 l. A vapor lock eliminator to be positioned in the 7,

fuel supply line which supplies gasoline from a storage 'tanlrfto a fuelpump in an automotive vehicle comprising; a cup-shaped fluid fuelreservoir; an inverted-cupshaped vacuum chamber positioned over saidreservoir; "a partition plate positioned between and separating saidreservoir from said vacuum chamber; means clamping said chamber and saidreservoir to opposite sides of said plate in sealed relation thereto; avalve shell removably mounted on the exterior of said Vacuum chamber;means for connecting said valve shell to a vacuum source; meansforconnecting said reservoir in the circuit of said fuel line; ano-return check valve betweenrsaid valve shell and said vacuum chamberallowing air to be drawn from "said chamber and to maintain a partialvacuum in the "latter; and a float-operated valve in said partitionplateacting to open said reservoir to said vacuum chamber so as to create apartial vacuum in the latter when the -fluid level therein descendsbelow a predetermined level.

2. A vapor lock eliminator as described in claim 1 in which thefloat-operated valve comprises a vacuum control nipple threadedconcentrically through said partition plate; a fulcrum post mounted onsaid partition plate and extending downwardly therefrom at one side ofsaid nipple; a valve-actuating lever pivotally mounted at its firstextremity on said post and extending diametricallyacross and below saidnipple; a valve mounted "on said lever and positioned to close saidnipple as said lever is moved upwardly; and a floatinsaid reservoirconnected to said 'second extremity of said lever.

3. A vapor lock eliminator as described in claiin 2 having means formounting said float on 'said partition plate so as to be removable withsaid plate, saidr'neahs comprising aguide pin extending downwardlyfromsaid Barlow Nov. 19; 1929 Gillen Mar. 22, 1938

